Mortal Kombat 1: Khaos Reigns Trailer Analysis – What is Even Going On?

NetherRealm Studios finally revealed its story expansion for Mortal Kombat 1, Khaos Reigns, launching on September 24th. It features Havik (though not the current timeline’s version) rallying forces together and taking the fight to Liu Kang. Sektor, Cyrax and Noob Saibot have been revealed, the world is seemingly descending into chaos, and it feels like the Forces of Light have a challenging conflict on their hands.

Based on the announcement trailer, there’s much to unpack with the story and what could happen. Spoilers follow for Mortal Kombat 1’s campaign and even for some earlier titles, so be warned.

Following the climactic finale with Titan Shang Tsung and Titan Quan-Chi, Titan Havik arrives and surveys the remnants of the battlefield, flanked by alternate versions of Tanya, Quan-Chi and Kenshi. Thirsting for more chaos, he promises the next battle won’t end so quickly. Like the other Titans, Titan Havik is a version of the character who defeated Kronika in Mortal Kombat 11 and claimed the Hourglass for himself. It’s unknown what he’s been up to since then, but the trailer indicates he has other forces.

One shot sees dozens of Haviks in an arena, while the Titan version addresses them (not unlike all the Kangs in the post-credits sequence for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania). Perhaps he’s been preparing for a moment like this for some time and sought other like-minded individuals – namely himself – to assist.

There’s a tease that Liu Kang must “put faith in his enemies” to save the New Era. This would imply another team-up with his timeline’s Shang Tsung, and the theme is somewhat fitting – Liu Kang represents life while Shang Tsung is all about death. The only real threat to the natural cycle is chaos, which Havik represents. Of course, maybe it isn’t all that straightforward.

It’s also possible that Liu Kang teams up with Titan versions of long-time enemies like Shao Kahn (maybe even Goro). It also wouldn’t be all that odd if the lone heroic version of Havik, who could be selected in the final battle of Mortal Kombat 1, throws his lot in with the Forces of Light to stop his Titan counterpart.

Of course, one has to ask: Is Titan Havik really that much of a threat? Sure, he and his forces are causing widespread bloodshed and chaos, but Liu Kang managed to defeat not one but two Titans. The wildcard in this equation could be the six “stones” embedded in Titan Havik’s chest. What they actually are is unknown, but they resemble the Kamidogu.

Introduced in Mortal Kombat: Deception, these six relics embody the essence of each realm and provide immense power. They were also the catalyst for resurrecting Onaga, Outworld’s Dragon King and all-around terrifying threat. Shinnok’s Amulet was the key to fusing them into the One Kamidogu. Though they’re canonically destroyed by Shujinko before that could happen, resulting in Onaga’s defeat, there is a secret ending where the latter does obtain the One Kamidogu.

The result? The creation of the One Realm, where all the various Realms are combined into one and the destruction of the Elder Gods. It also marked Onaga’s transformation into the One Being, the creator of all the Realms, who the Elder Gods defeated and separated its essence into the Kamidogu. This being has since seemingly guided the likes of Onaga and Shao Kahn in their interrealm campaigns.

However, this was the first timeline – the second saw the Kamidogu turned into daggers, as showcased in the Mortal Kombat X comic book series. Though tied to Blood Magick, they retain the One Being’s essence. Havik would gather all of them for a ritual to retrieve Shinnok’s Amulet and then turn all the Realms’ champions into mind-controlled slaves. Though set to venture into NetherRealm, he’s stopped by Takeda, then Scorpion, who transports Havik to the Gates of Hell (where Quan-Chi subsequently deals with him for failing to retrieve the Amulet).

Of course, this isn’t the last we hear of the One Being – it was brought up in Mortal Kombat X during Shinnok’s ending, destroying all reality after the Realms have been merged. There are also some references to it during Mortal Kombat 11’s story, though it doesn’t play a role.

If Titan Havik is wielding the Kamidogu, where did he get them? Perhaps the main story of Khaos Reigns is about him retrieving the Kamidogu of the current timeline. While his outfit obscures most of his chest while fighting Liu Kang, Kung Lao and Raiden, the right-most side has no stones embedded. Meanwhile, the Amulet of Shinnok is still presumably with Liu Kang after wresting it from General Shao. Whether it’s still the key to combining the Kamidogu is unknown, but having such a powerful artifact never being mentioned again seems unlikely.

In the midst of all, Onaga is yet another wildcard. He currently resides within Mount Tsaagan, trapped but still very powerful. During Reiko’s ending, General Shao sends him to free Onaga as part of a plan to take Outworld from Mileena. If that happens, Onaga could lay waste to all the realms or fulfill the purpose of the original timeline’s version and collect the Kamidogu, perhaps creating the One Kamidogu once more for ultimate power.

Assuming the Kamidogu and Onaga are involved, the stakes would be much higher than the base game. Will Titan Havik gather all of them and use their power to unmake all the realms? What if Onaga isn’t an enemy at first but works alongside Liu Kang and the Forces of Light to neutralize the Titan, then claims the power for himself? What do the Elder Gods think about all this, and will they have a role to play? If the One Being does return, marking its canonical appearance in a video game, how will our heroes deal with its threat? Can even the Titans from various timelines stand up to it?

There are a lot of moving pieces, and that’s before discussing the other characters. Bi-Han’s conversion into Noob Saibot at the behest of the Titan Havik is a fitting nod to Mortal Kombat (2011). In the latter, Saibot had an “understanding” with Havik to open a portal to the NetherRealm, causing the latter’s forces to overwhelm its denizens.

Sektor and Cyrax are also interesting – the former is devoted to the former Bi-Han, while the latter is a prodigy from the Zaki sub-clan with a somewhat reckless demeanor. One scene shows them fighting, and while this could be a friendly spar (or blowing off steam), Sektor may disagree with Titan Havik’s whole agenda. Maybe she doesn’t like what’s become of Bi-Han or has second thoughts over whether all this will help the clan.

Onaga, the Kamidogu, the One Being – this may all seem far fetched or even beyond the scale of your average expansion, but let’s not forget how the base game’s story ended. A war among multiple timelines and Titans, that too when it seemed this reboot would slowly move away from MK11’s shenanigans? No one saw it coming. There’s also the fact that NetherRealm Studios has to raise the stakes. Where the story goes from there is, as always, anyone’s guess.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.